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Compare ESET Essential vs McAfee Total Protection Essential

Which one should you choose ESET Essential or McAfee Total Protection Essential ? Let's do a side by side comparison to find out the difference and help you to choose the right one. Let's start with a quick comparison.
Rating
Compatibility
Basic Protection
Anti Ransomware
Firewall
Web Protection
VPN
Cloud backup
Data encryption
Parental Control
Password manager
Software updater
Device Optimizer
File shredder
Ad blocker
Mic monitor
Camera Monitor
Dark web monitoring
Beyond Device Protection
Identity Protection
Identity Theft Insurance
Ransomware Insurance
Bank / Credit card fraud alert
Credit Monitoring
Court Record Alert
Home title Alert
Devices
Price
windows mac android ios
1
$ 49.99 $49.99 per year
windows mac android ios chromeos
1
$ 35.99 $119.99 per year

Quick Overview of ESET Essential vs McAfee Total Protection Essential

ESET Essential

ESET essential comes with a firewall and antitheft. It is also compatible with smartphones and smart home devices. It helps to secure the access to your camera. Its firewall comes with WiFi network security. As compared to its higher subscription plans it does not include live guard, folder guard, website settings review features & password manager etc. But with its essential bundle it includes system optimization, parental control, webcam protection features.

McAfee Total Protection Essential

McAfee essential offers 5 devices license for its total protection product keeping all the features it offers in basic plan.

What I like in ESET Essential
  • Parental control
  • System cleaner
  • Webcam protection
What I like in McAfee Total Protection Essential
What I dislike in ESET Essential
  • Lots of options to configure make it a little complex.
What I dislike in McAfee Total Protection Essential

Features Comparison

Find out the detailed difference between ESET Essential and McAfee Total Protection Essential

Common Features

Features that are common in both software. Check out how each feature is different in both software

Antimalware

ESET Essential

Antimalware which protects from malware like viruses, trojans, spyware etc. It includes smart scan, custom scan, full scan options. In its settings you can customize scanning options.

ESET Antimalware settings

McAfee Total Protection Essential

McAfee's Antimalware has multiple layer of protection to protect against all kind of common threats like ransomware, viruses, trojans, spyware etc. McAfee uses AI based malware detection. I didn't found any other feature to configure.

McAfee Total protection antivirus home screen

Web-protection

ESET Essential

Its web protection comes with anti-phishing capability to protect from dangerous websites. It includes web access protection, browser protection. A browser privacy and security extension for the browser also provides enhanced web protection.

Eset safe search web protection

McAfee Total Protection Essential

McAfee's web protection alert you about dangerous websites and avoid you to visit phishing websites. McAfee do this with a browser extension named McAfee WebAdvisor.

McAfee web protection


Firewall

ESET Essential

A firewall is included with wifi network security feature to protect unauthorized access to wifi network. Its firewall has option to customize rules. additionally as compared to other antivirus it includes option to evaluate Windows firewall rules and group policy rules.

ESET Firewall

McAfee Total Protection Essential

McAfee uses Windows firewall to control inbound connections and an advanced firewall for the outbound connections. So basically it uses two firewall. I don't know it is good or bad. But it is offering a two way firewall protection.

Mcafee Firewall

Privacy-tools

ESET Essential

Webcam protection is included with it.

McAfee Total Protection Essential

In this plan there is not special privacy features included.

Extra Features in ESET Essential

Features that are only available in ESET Essential but not available in McAfee Total Protection Essential

  • Antiransomware

    Its malware protection comes with ransomware protection. It has inbuilt protection for the ransomware threats as claimed on its website but I didn't found any setting for the ransomware protection.

  • Optimization-tools

    It includes a system cleaner feature But I was unable to find any cleaning functionality. As you can see in the screenshot it is just suggesting the Windows settings which have changed from its default settings. I don't know how useful is it because many users intentionally changed some Windows settings. But it is useful for them who need to reset all the settings to default.

    ESET System cleaner

  • Parental-control

    Even in its essential bundle a parental control features is included with it. Setting up it is not easy as you need to understand its working. You have to create a separate user account in Windows to make it work properly. You can create child profile from the eset home dashboard. Good thing is that it also works with android device.

    eset parental control

Extra Features in McAfee Total Protection Essential

Features that are available only in McAfee Total Protection Essential but not available in ESET Essential

  • Password-manager

    McAfee's password manager help you to store, organize and autofill passwords easily. Its password manager is named as McAfee True Key. It is a browser based extension. It has the option to import passwords from other popular password managers.

    McAfee true key password manager

  • Vpn

    McAfee VPN let you encrypt your connection and make you anonymous on the internet. McAfee VPN is named as Safe Connect.

    McAfee VPN  safe connect

Plans & Pricing Comparison

ESET Essential
1 Device | 1 Year
$ 49.99
2 Devices | 1 Year
$ 54.99
3 Devices | 1 Year
$ 59.99
4 Devices | 1 Year
$ 64.99
5 Devices | 1 Year
$ 69.99
6 Devices | 1 Year
$ 74.99
McAfee Total Protection Essential
5 Devices | 1 Year
$ 119.99 $ 35.99

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